The Orita Podcast

In this episode of The Orita Podcast, Aaron Schwartz sits down with Mya Gupta (VP of Client Services, 1r) and Kelsey Carstens (Director of Email & SMS, Bad Marketing) for an unfiltered look at what it really takes to build unified, retention-first commerce in 2025. From agency partnerships to AI hype, they unpack what makes great customer experiences scalable and what still can’t be automated....

In this episode of The Orita Podcast, Aaron Schwartz sits down with Rick Watson, Founder & CEO of RMW Commerce, for a deep dive into the real state of e-commerce, where omnichannel meets reality, and where growth meets gravity. Together, they unpack: • Breaking the legacy mold, how big brands modernize without losing what made them great • The DTC ceiling, why even the best Shopify brands plat...

In this episode of The Orita Podcast, Aaron Schwartz sits down with Bianca Gates, Co-Founder & CEO of Birdies, to unpack what it really takes to build a beloved consumer brand, from the early scrappy days to leading a post-acquisition company without losing your spark. They tackle: • The “pick your seat” mindset, the childhood lesson that shaped Bianca’s entire career • Sales as a superpower,...

In this episode of The Orita Podcast, Aaron Schwartz sits down with Omar Lovert (Polaris Growth; Klaviyo Legend, Co-host, Klaviyo Geeks) and Bogdan Mihalache (Founder, Email Kong; Co-host, Klaviyo Geeks) for a masterclass on email, retention, and the art of sending more without losing your soul. Together, they unpack:• Flow timing myths, why “wait 24 hours” is bad advice and how to capture intent...

In this episode of The Orita Podcast, Aaron Schwartz sits down with Fan Bi, operator, investor, and founder of Blank Label (acquired) and The Hedgehog Company, for an honest look at what happens when growth at all costs collides with the laws of profitability. Together, they unpack:• Zombie brands 101, how to spot when common equity is out of the money (and may never be again)• The real multiple,...

In this episode of The Orita Podcast, Michael Mahoney, CEO at Misen, and Katharine Azzolini, Senior Lifecycle Marketing Manager at Misen, walk us through how a 12-person cookware team balances profitability, creativity, and relentless product focus, without drowning in tools or distractions. They tackle:• Do less, better. How Misen drives $50M+ revenue with a small team and crystal-clear prioritie...

In this episode of The Orita Podcast, Aaron Schwartz sits down with Reba Hatcher, Chief Commercial Officer at ButcherBox, to unpack what it takes to build a mission-driven e-commerce brand that’s both profitable and personal. Together, they unpack:• Bootstrapped to $500M. How ButcherBox scaled sustainably while staying true to its values.• Retention is the job. Why "getting the box there froz...

In this episode of The Orita Podcast, Aaron sits down with two operators who’ve seen (and fixed) just about everything in e-commerce: Charles Cushing (Founder, StartOps) and Joe Gullo (SVP, Thursday Boot Company; ex-Glossier). We get into why ops is the quiet growth engine, and how the best brands turn constraints into velocity. They tackle:• Automation that actually ships: where AI + Sheets beat...

In this episode of The Orita Podcast, Aaron Schwartz sits down with Dennis Bernstein, VP of Marketing & Growth at Serafina Therapeutics (Fatty 15), and a veteran of Procter & Gamble and Dollar Shave Club, for a masterclass in brand building. Together, they unpack:• From P&G to DTC. What 25 years of brand building taught Dennis about storytelling, innovation, and constraint.• Scrappy wi...

In this episode of The Orita Podcast, Aaron Schwartz sits down with Aoife (eefa) Teague, PR-turned-partnerships pro at Octane AI, for a no-BS look at quizzes, zero-party data, and how to make partnerships actually ship revenue (not decks).Together, they unpack:• Stop guessing. Start asking. Why zero-party data beats “vibes” and how most brands still aren’t using it• Quizzes in minutes. Octane’s AI...

In this episode of The Orita Podcast, Aaron Schwartz sits down with Jordan Nathan (Founder & CEO, Caraway) and Oren Charnoff (General Partner, Sticker Ventures; ex-founder of Fondue → acquired by Postscript) for a founder-meets-investor reality check on turning “cool brand” into a durable business: pricing, channels, AI, and the one metric VCs actually care about (hint: it’s not ROAS). Togethe...

In this episode of The Orita Podcast, Aaron Schwartz sits down with Domaine’s dynamic duo—Stacy Strom (Director of CRM & Lifecycle Marketing) and Kim Samuelsen (Director of Delivery & Head of Domaine Studio), to unpack how the world’s largest independent Shopify design and development team helps brands win right now. From enterprise re-platforms to founder-led up-and-comers, they break dow...

In this episode of The Orita Podcast, Megan Blissick (Director of Marketing & Partnerships at Orita) sits down with three powerhouse operators shaping retention and growth in e-commerce: Hannah Spicer (Founder, H. Spicer Consulting), Whitney Caldwell (Co-Founder, Code & Cart), and Kerri McDonald (Co-Founder, Greenhouse Agency). From launching careers on the brand side to building agencies...

In this episode of The Orita Podcast, Jordan Shamir (Co-Founder & CEO of Yofi) and Malc Miller (Co-Founder & CEO of Wage) join Aaron Schwartz for a conversation that zig-zags from Ohio State vs. Michigan trash talk to the hardest truths about building DTC startups. Jordan breaks down how Yofi grew from sneaker resale frustrations into an AI-powered fraud and abuse prevention platform trust...

In this episode of The Orita Podcast, Aaron Schwartz chats with two retention heavyweights from New Standard Co., Marina Carroll and co-founder Eric Rausch, to find out how top brands prepare for BFCM and scale smarter with email, SMS, and push. From testing frameworks to “send less, earn more,” they share what works across fast-moving DTC and subscription brands alike. They discuss: • BFCM prep t...

In this episode of The Orita Podcast, Aaron Schwartz sits down with two operators who’ve seen inside dozens of Shopify brands: Dov Quint (OpenStore, ran storefronts for ~50 brands) and Caleb Madsen (Fractional CMO). Together they cut through AI hype, agency roulette, and bloated tech stacks to show what really moves the needle. They discuss:• Founder obsession is better than shiny tools — why focu...

In this episode of The Orita Podcast, Aaron Schwartz sits down with three leaders rewriting the playbook for direct mail: Ben Walter (CEO of PostPilot), Jess Chan (Founder of Longplay), and Ben Semmar (GM of Direct Mail at Orita). Together they unpack how brands can turn an “old-school” channel into a modern profit engine for BFCM and beyond. They discuss:• Direct mail myths – why it’s not just fo...

In this episode of The Orita Podcast, Ovadia Labaton (co‑founder of The Perfect Jean) and Sammy Tran (founder of BMO Media) break down how they mix data discipline with a brand voice that never plays it safe. From cash‑flow math to irreverent copy, they show why great denim + great data still beats blitz‑scaling every time. They tackle: Unit‑economics first, always – breakeven ROAS, cash‑turn cycl...

When Tina Bou‑Saba talks consumer strategy, the smartest founders start taking notes. In this episode of The Orita Podcast, we talk with Bou-Saba about how she helps founders navigate high-stakes decisions, from product pivots to capital strategy. We also dig into the biggest opportunities in consumer, the trends shaping where capital is flowing next, and the lessons she’s carried from Harvard to...

In this episode of The Orita Podcast , Aaron Schwartz sits down with Ben Parr—Mashable alum, best‑selling author of Captivology , co‑founder of Octane AI, and now investor at Theory Forge—for a founder‑to‑founder reality check on how commerce tech is moving (hint: faster than your Monday stand‑up). Together, they unpack: The $$$ unsubscribe —how to show the C‑suite that every send is either compou...

If your idea of a holiday prep strategy is “we’ll figure it out in October,” we need to have a talk. On this episode of The Orita Podcast , Diana Zheng sits down with Meaghan Langston (Go Fish Digital) and Caren Carrasco (Mandate) to talk about email marketing, AI, collaboration—and why “set it and forget it” is a crime against your customer journey. Together, they unpack: • Why every email you se...

On this episode of The Orita Podcast , Megan Blissick sits down with two legends of the inbox: Will Evans, Co-Founder of FlowCandy (aka the Klaviyo whisperer), and Nikki Tooman, Co-Founder of Sticky Digital (who leads a multi-million-dollar, all-women agency turning one-time buyers into lifelong brand fans). Together, they break down: • How to turn one-time purchasers into loyal fans • How to buil...

If you’re a brand looking to level up your Shopify experience, strengthen your tech stack, and build smarter agency relationships, this one’s for you. On this episode of The Orita Podcast, Partnerships Director Megan Blissick sits down with agency founders Mark Shesser (Coldsmoke) and Ben Lord (SoftLimit)—a duo who’ve helped growth-minded Shopify brands run thousands of thoughtful, revenue-driving...

How do you scale a sales team from “just trust us” to a public-company powerhouse? It’s not just about hiring more reps or tightening the pitch deck. It’s about building systems, aligning teams, and turning early intuition into repeatable success—without losing the spark that got things moving in the first place. In this episode of The Orita Podcast, Aaron Schwartz is joined by three go-to-market...

In this episode of The Orita Podcast, we sit down with Jay Myers (Bold Commerce) and Bob Strachan (Metacake) to unpack how DTC brands can build stronger businesses by rethinking loyalty, email, and the fundamentals of brand growth. From early Shopify hacks to modern membership models, Jay shares how Bold’s suite of apps is evolving to support retention-first strategies. Bob brings a strategic lens...